Federation calls for 17 per cent pay rise for officers

9 March 2023

West Midlands Police Federation chair Rich Cooke has backed calls for officers to be given a 17 per cent pay rise.

Rich said the pay claim followed the publication of a report from the independent Social Market Foundation (SMF) think tank which showed pay had been lagging behind inflation by around 20 per cent since 2000.

He said: “Police officers have routinely been offered the worst pay deals across all the emergency services for many years and even a 17 per cent award this year, significant as it would be, would only go part way to redressing the balance.

“Colleagues in other frontline services have pressed their cases for fair pay through industrial action but our members are forbidden by law to withdraw their labour and that also has to be taken into account. In my view, if things continue as they have we should campaign to pursue industrial rights. 

“The Police Federation has long campaigned for better pay for its members and I think the time has now come for the Government to take our position seriously and bring us back into line with the rest of the public sector.

“The pay issue has been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis which has left some of our members struggling to make ends meet and that is totally unacceptable.

“Our members deserve better. They work incredibly hard in very challenging circumstances and keep our communities safe and secure.

“They should be treated with dignity and respect and that begins with a fair pay offer that reflects the sacrifices they make and the risks they take.”

The SMF research found other protective services workers had received an average real-terms rise of one per cent since 2000 while other public sector workers had received increases equalling 14 per cent. MPs’ salaries went up by four per cent in real terms during the same period. 

The report said the decline in police pay was likely to be linked to the restrictions on police officers’ right to strike, which puts them at a distinct disadvantage to all other workers including other emergency service workers.

A key factor in discussions of police pay is the “P-factor” which SMF have suggested should be a figure offered in addition to their findings. 

The report references the P-factor as an element of police pay that reflects the unique obligations and responsibilities police officers’ experience relative to other comparable roles. 

This includes their unique risk of exposure to physical and psychological harm, alongside the restrictions that are placed upon their private lives.

The P-factor payment does not feature in the report highlighting that the actual figure of degradation of police pay is significantly higher.

Police Federation national chair Steve Hartshorn said the SMF research should act as a  “wake-up call for policy-makers in the UK”.

He said: “Police officers put their lives on the line every day to serve and protect their communities.

“That is why today our National Council has taken the decision to call for a minimum of 17 per cent increase in pay for our officers.

“The Government can no longer sit by and ignore our members’ basic needs and must recognise the impact of this independent research. 

“In the context of ongoing inflation, indications of a police retention crisis, and reports of officers being forced to turn to food banks, the issue of police pay must be addressed now after more than a decade of being ignored.”